I agree with recped on the need for more details and the $10/mile as a reasonable current estimate for a Beaver.
Ahmic Air (Yellowknife) has some suggested destinations on their website with the 2016 rates. At that time a Beaver to Eyeberry (309 miles one-way) with 2 passengers, gear and an external canoe was $5300. I make Beverly 443 miles one way, for a guesstimate charge of $7500. Total ~$12,800. Plus inflation to rates since then.
Great gugga mugga, I had no idea flyin costs were that prohibitive. 12 grand in Canadian is still 9 Gs US.
I spent 18 months on the road, crisscrossing the US from coast to coast twice, for less than 7 grand.
Granted that was in 1988 and 89, but I could still take a helluva long cross country paddling road trip, stopping along the way to paddle here and there, on 9,000 bucks. Even without resorting to stealing campground showers and drinking cheap beer, and pay for a bunch of trailer or jet boat river shuttles along the way.
Hard to say thank you when the news you get kind of hits you in the gut.
I am not wealthy, work hard and make a simple living. So, this is just kind of a dream crusher. I will just have to be happy to do trips that are not as grand as the Thelon River, I guess.
If time constraints mattered I could cram a three paddling trips into three weeks cross country, with drive time spaced in between, for thousand bucks and change. Including gas, food and cheap site truck bed overnight lodging along the way. Between 1976 and 1989 I did just that, saving up every bit of leave time I had coming for a yearly cross country trip.
Living in Montana I expect you are familiar with the usual Missouri Breaks, Green, Colorado, etc western river stuff. Southern Rio Grande maybe?
Without knowing where you have lived or traveled, even the eastern Canadian Shield could be different. Or Florida as a winter escape, long Suwannee river trip, couple daytrip spring runs and south into the Everglades would be 3 very different venues, all within a days I-75 drive each. And very different from Montana in winter. Maybe a stop in the Ozarks en route back.
I never had dreams of a flyin trip, I knew I was too frugal. But every time I have travelled cross country I have come up with a couple new places I want to paddle someday, and a new routes I want to take to get there.
That is a good wish list to have always expanding and never finished.